Israel News

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A Palestinian mosque in a Hebron-area village was vandalized and set on fire, allegedly by Jews.

In addition to graffiti spray-painted on the building, several volumes of the Koran and prayer rugs were burned in the fire set late Sunday night.

“The IDF and security officials are working in order to find those responsible, and we view this as a grave and serious incident,” head of the Israeli Civil Administration, Brig. Gen. Yoel Mordechai, said Monday.

JERUSALEM (JTA)-- An Israeli military court convicted two soldiers of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during the Gaza war.

The Israeli soldiers were convicted of inappropriate behavior and overstepping authority on Sunday, for forcing an 11-year-old Palestinian boy to open bags they believed to be armed with explosives during a search conducted in southern Gaza City in January 2009.

It is the first convictions on the use of human shields, which is prohibited by Israeli military protocol, according to Haaretz.

Oranit, West Bank — The long-awaited deadline of Israel’s settlement moratorium came and went at midnight Monday. But in this settlement that hugs the Green Line about 12 miles east of Tel Aviv, there was no army of bulldozers to signal a new building wave — at least until Israelis come back from the Sukkot vacation this weekend.

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- In the four weeks since direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed, settlement construction has been identified widely as the most immediate obstacle to the survival of negotiations.

In media accounts about the diplomatic standoff over the issue, Israel’s decision not to extend its self-imposed 10-month freeze on settlement building has been portrayed as a slap in the face to the Obama administration, deepening Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and creating more stumbling blocks to a final peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians.

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Building began in West Bank communities just hours after the expiration of a 10-month settlement construction freeze.

Work on 50 apartments for people removed five years ago from Gush Katif began Monday morning in Ariel. Construction also continued Monday in Revava, Yakir and Kochav Hashachar, Haaretz reported, on homes for which permits had been issued before the freeze began.

Construction is expected to begin Tuesday in several other West Bank communities including Shavei Shomron, Adam, Oranit, Sha'arei Tikva, Kedumim and Karmei Tzur.